On the road
by regie27
Summary: After weeks of uninterrupted work, Korra and Asami enjoy a rare day of leisure, and Korra meditates on past events and her future ahead. Companion piece to When dawn breaks.


_Through layers of time_

_We'll live again_

_Forget the past_

_We'll be alright_

_Victims of time_

_We take our chance again_

_The road is paved with pain_

_Keep walking_

_We'll find the way_

_ Lacuna Coil, Layers of Time_

"Good morning love!" the cheery voice of Asami greets me from the door as I pry open my eyes. I let out a long, loud yawn as she stares at me amused. She's already dressed in the red Future Industries jacket and form fitting pants and boots outfit that looks so divinely good on her. Her lips display a touch of rouge lipstick and every single hair of her abundant raven black mane is exactly where she intends it to be. She is ready to face the day and to take any challenge that could be thrown her way.

"G'morning 'Sami" I mutter almost unintelligibly as I sit up, a hand absentmindedly pushing back the disorderly locks of hair that stick to my forehead. The goosebumps that prickle my skin inform me that I'm missing my pajamas. I know exactly who to blame for that because right now she's observing me putting them back on. She has a smug grin perched on her face as she leans against the doorframe with arms crossed over her chest. Now properly clothed, I rise and my feet connect to the ground and I immediately recoil with a shiver and a hiss. It's cold and I know _a lot_ about cold. I find my comfy slippers under the bed and I put them on as I stagger towards Asami, placing a soft peck on her lips. I'm still not sure where does she gets all this energy. It is as if she absorbed all the sunlight and processed it as energy for her internal engine. That would also explain the ethereal glow and warmth that seems to emanate from her, luring me towards her gravity. Or is it just that I'm so in love with her that I visualize her as with this otherworldly glimmer. No matter, she's definitely the morning person of the two of us. Me, not so much but now that we're spending so much time together, I've been learning to adapt to her daily routines and she to mine. It has been quite the experience to say the least but our life has been everything but boring and stale. I'm looking forward to grow old with her even if I never figure out the secret to her chipper morning drive.

"Rise and shine Avatar! We have a whole weekend just for us and we haven't decided yet what to do with it."

"Hmm, how about we start by deciding what we'll have for breakfast?" I offer as I sense my stomach rumble rather loudly like a satomobile engine making Asami chuckle.

"Is that you or is it Naga? I swear that you've spent some much time together that your appetite is no longer human but like a polar bear dog."

I decide to punish my girlfriend for that comment by circling her waist and licking her soft cheek in the most slobbery manner possible.

"Korra, stop that!" she screams as she quickly manages to escape from my 'paws' and cleans her face with her palm. I grin victoriously as I witness the grimace that makes her red lips tense into a line.

"You said that I was like Naga and that's how she greets me in the morning" I reply in a smart alecky manner and her eyebrows furrow with righteous indignation. Asami looks quite adorable when she gets all flustered, pale green eyes shimmering and coal black locks swaying around her shoulders. Probably she has already figured out how I enjoy getting a rise out of her by doing things like leaving my clothes on the floor when I'm tired and I just want to be comfortable. The warm embrace and the content expression on her face when I pick them up are the best reward I could ever receive.

"Come on, let's feed you before you go all polar bear dog of a sudden" she finally concedes, the furrow softening. I notice how she's fidgeting with a smile that wants to replace the pursed lips so I embrace her with a bear hug from behind that makes her break into a bright laughter. I laugh too as we comically walk half stumbling into the kitchen in search of nourishment.

"So, we can cook breakfast or we can go somewhere outside" she announces as she goes through the contents of the fridge. "Hmm, we might not have that many options. I think we forgot to do a grocery run and I just remembered that I gave the house staff the weekend off so we could have more privacy."

As she starts taking eggs, ham, peppers and butter from the fridge and placing them over the counter, I watch her focused expression and I smile. I find enthralling how she faces every task and challenge with the same concentrated look on her eyes. It makes me believe that no matter how dire the situation is, she will always find a way to make it through the day, and so far she hasn't let me down.

"Whatever that you should come up with it will be fine with me. Besides, nothing can be worse than when we had to scrounge for provisions on a downed airship in the middle of the desert."

"Spirits, that was the worse because there was no water or provisions available to scrounge to begin with. I might have not shown it at the moment but I had to use every shred of my self-discipline to feign confidence back then. I truly came to fear we wouldn't be making it out of that place."

"But you came through and saved the day. That's what makes you so special Asami."

"I didn't let despair get the best of me because you were there Korra" she replies as her light green eyes abandon the task at hand momentarily to look at me. I might have not realized back then but her trust in me has always been one of my driving forces. Subconsciously, my self-confidence was boosted by the knowledge that I had her by my side and that she trusted me even when I couldn't trust myself. Her steadfast belief in me also ironically fueled my worst fears when I struggled to get better after the Red Lotus attack. I dreaded that if I couldn't be the Korra she had known, the self-assured and strong Avatar that could make things right and bring balance, then she would reject me. I should have known better that she would have never done such a thing, but the me that waddled into the pits of depression and self-doubt was unable to see or understand that.

"Knowing that I can count with your support is what makes me strong Asami" I reply in earnest. She walks away from the counter for a moment to approach me and without a word, she kisses me. I sigh as I accept the caress that wordlessly communicates the unrelenting faith she has for me. We separate as we both fill our lungs with air and her mouth comically contorts as she catches a stray lock of hair between thumb and forefinger.

"You need to make yourself more presentable if we plan to leave this house sometime today. I'll take care of breakfast. Scrambled eggs and toast sounds about right?"

"Sounds wonderful" I offer back as I kiss her cheek.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth!" I hear as I turn on my heels and head towards the bathroom. The last thing she sees before I disappear into the corridor is my tongue sticking out and her bright chuckle makes it to my ears as I enter the bathroom. I have the feeling that regardless of what we end up doing, we will indeed enjoy a wonderful weekend together.

-oOo-

After savoring the tasty breakfast that Asami improvised, we start brainstorming on our options for the weekend.

"So, any suggestions?" she inquires while I wash the dishes.

"Hmm…it has been so long since we had a couple of days off for ourselves that I can't come out with ideas."

"I know what you mean. Lately I've been so busy with the city reconstruction projects that it takes a while for my brain to recall any fun activities."

I too understand the feeling quite well. Republic City has had its share of challenges during the past years and although people have grown resilient, all the past perils have also taken its toll on the city in both the infrastructure and to the people that reside in it. What had been rebuilt and fixed after the damages perpetrated by Amon and the Equalists was frustratingly torn down and obliterated again by Kuvira's Colossus and worse. Living in a city wounded by the ravages of war still weights on everybody's minds. And to complicate matters, just recently we began facing the consequences of having a Spirit Portal basically at our backyard. My hands ball into fists just remembering how I almost lost Asami to the most recent peril we faced with the Triple Threats when she was kidnapped. When I came back from my three year hiatus, I realized just how demanding Asami's life was. Sometimes it is still difficult for me to wrap my head around the amount of responsibilities she manages as CEO of Future Industries. Mako also leads a busy life as a police officer and Bo is just as busy with government stuff with Zhu Li. Tenzin has his hands full with his family and with leading the new Air Nomads nation. It's a lot to take in and I know that there have been nights that sleep has been elusive for Asami as her mind refuses to allow her to rest until it finds a solution for a specific problem. I'm also aware of the nights she sobs quietly thinking about the father she tragically lost during the invasion. I wonder if she regrets not being able to patch up things with him while he was still in prison. That's something she has to come to terms herself but regardless what she does or thinks, I will always be here for her as she has been for me. I understand what is like to think of all the possible scenarios of things we should have done but didn't because I've done plenty of that recently. I've been looking back to all the things I've missed while I was away and when I do, a sense of nostalgia overcomes me when I dwell on the time lost and the opportunities gone away. Melancholia settles inside me and I begin the exercise again, quickly skimming over all the scenarios and all the what-ifs. I know it is futile but I still end up doing it almost as a force of habit.

"Korra, are you okay?" Asami is now standing beside me. She has closed the faucet and the sink is overflowing with water and I hurry to bend the puddle that has accumulated on the floor. I realize that I've must zone out for a moment profoundly immersed in my own thoughts, and now she's looking at me with worry.

"I'm alright…sorry if I worried you for a moment. I got stuck inside a thought but I'm fine now. Tell you what, how about we go for a drive and we figure out what we can do on the road."

"I think that's a great idea. I've been wanting to ride my new motorcycle for a while now but couldn't come up with an excuse but this is actually a great chance. So road trip then?"

"The idea sounds even better when you say it. Can I get to ride the bike?" I exclaim expectantly. I know my past experiences haven't been that good with motorized vehicles but riding the motorcycle sounds really exciting and fun.

"Hmmm, no. I think we've had enough of your driving for the next decade. Stick to your glider and leave the riding to me." The stern expression on her face communicates quite clearly that's all there is to say about the subject. I must be pouting now because she links her arms around my neck and tilts her head to the side making her hair bounce.

"Don't worry about it. Make sure to hold me tightly so I feel protected, okay?" She winks and places a quick peck over my forehead and it makes me smile in return. It is decided then, road trip it is. It should allow us the chance to unwind and clear our minds of all the things that have been encumbering us. The open road and the change of scenario will do us good. I've adapted to life in the city but sometimes I miss the vast openness of my homeland. Perhaps tomorrow we can go to the South Pole and ride snowmobiles. That's one nice advantage of the Spirit Portals and besides, at home I have plenty space to maneuver. I'll wait for the trip back to break the suggestion to Asami.

-oOo-

After hours of smooth riding under a bright, clear day, we find ourselves enjoying a hearty lunch at a small town at the outskirts of Republic City. This place doesn't display the fingerprints of the war against the Earth Empire and the day seems to move slower here. I like it, the languid pace the hours take here instead of the around the clock rhythm of the city. Asami is perfectly in synch with it being a city girl through and through but sometimes it takes me a while to adapt to it, especially after coming from years dedicated to the healing and recovery of my body, mind and spirit. It amazes me how patient Asami is with me and I realize it is precisely because she is aware of where I come from physically and emotionally. I think she is the only one that on a conscious level has that awareness besides myself. As I relax in my chair, she offers me some of her cactus juice smoothie and I accept while stealing the last dumplings from her plate.

"Wouldn't it be better if I ordered another round instead of you stealing mine?" she comments while arching an eyebrow.

"It's not the same, yours taste better" I reply grinning as I pop the last one inside my mouth. With a sigh, she requests a second serving. A light breeze pushes loose tendrils away from her forehead and I wonder how she does it to avoid having a bad case of helmet hair. Hours of nonstop travel with helmet and goggles on and both her makeup and her raven hair are as perfect as they were this morning. I can't say the same thing about mine and I even swallowed a bug on the way here. I lost half of my bodily fluids spitting the bug taste from my mouth. Even worse, we almost fell off the motorcycle when I angrily airbended a bug swarm that seemed to be flying straight towards us. Luckily, Asami's keen reflexes saved the day and we avoided ending more splattered over the road than the unlucky bug that crash-landed over my goggles.

"I like this place. I don't remember stopping here before but it's definitely quieter than the city" I comment as I finish my tea.

"No, I don't think we've been here before but we've been in so many places that sometimes my memories jumble trying to remember every single location we've been at. Right now Future Industries is heavily involved in the city's rebuilding efforts and we've already received a request to collaborate with Zaofu so you know what that means."

"Yup, more traveling. That's why I'm really grateful you suggested for us to take these days off. After our Spirit World vacation was cut short, we've been nothing but busy. It's good to be traveling at full speed on the open road just for the fun of it and not because we're on a race to save the world."

"No, we're just trying to outpace bugs, right?" she replies with an amused smirk on her face.

"Don't remind me that. Glad that it was you in charge and not me. Guess I should really stick to my glider then."

"Don't be so pessimistic. I think we can go over the driving lessons again but it will be on a closed track. If you do well with the satomobile perhaps we can then venture into motorcycle territory."

"Really? You're the best!" I exclaim as I clasp her hands firmly.

"You never cease to amaze me. You bend all the elements and you open portals and now you even mediate between humans and spirits and yet here you are getting excited over learning how to drive."

"If you put it that way, I guess driving sounds ordinary in comparison but the thing is it is something I don't do too well and I would like to learn. I enjoy learning things."

"You enjoy challenges and that's what makes you, you Korra. That's one of the things I like and admire about you. Not because you're the Avatar but because it is something that you do as a person."

I smile wholeheartedly as I enjoy the compliment. It feels really good coming from her.

Her face displays a more serious countenance now. "This morning you've seemed distracted. Is there something worrying you?"

I remember the instance she's referring to and I inhale deeply. Sometimes it is not easy for me to describe certain emotions and thoughts in words but I'll do my best effort nonetheless.

"I don't think worry would be the right word. I got distracted thinking of all the things that's happened to us and of the time I was away. After I came back we'd barely had any time to talk and absorb what had happened because we had to deal with the whole Earth Empire situation and before we knew it, Republic City was under attack again. I feel there's still a lot to unpack from that period and sometimes I've come to regret not being here with all of you because I feel I missed out so much."

Here glance softens with a compassionate glimmer. "You weren't here not because you didn't want to but because you were still healing. You shouldn't burden yourself thinking about what you couldn't do but instead you should enjoy what you have now."

"Even if we might have missed out on time for us?" One of my deepest regrets comes out. Just being able to say it takes a bit off the load weighting inside me. Asami's glance finds mine and her hand now rests over mine.

"I've been guilty of making the same mistake for a while but I came to realize that dwelling on something that I couldn't change wasn't doing me any good. So what if I we waited three years to understand what we felt for each other? The fact is that we get to experience it now. What they did to you, what you went through was terrible beyond words and I feel fortunate that you were strong enough to overcome it. You came back to us and that's what matters the most. I'm happy today because I get to have this moment with you. I want you to understand this so you can focus on the present instead of lamenting what you could not have in the past."

I leave my side of the table and I rush to embrace Asami. The mere knowledge that she was once tormented by the same regrets has given me solace. I don't feel so alone in my thoughts and yet what she has said makes all the sense in the world. I'm glad I have her by my side because I know I'll be able to move on.

"I love you Asami" I murmur to her ear still holding her close to me. Her mere presence comforts me in ways I can't explain and I can sense it, the glow like an aura that surrounds her.

"I love you too Korra" she replies, her hand running up and down my back in a soothing motion. We pull away and before I get the chance to kiss her, Asami coughs discretely. I think our little emotional outburst was already gathering an audience so I return to my side of the table with a sheepish smile and decide to deal with the fresh round of dumplings that have been delivered to our table. As I place an equal amount of dumplings that I had stolen on her plate, I've already decided in my mind how I want to spend the rest of our leisure day and it will begin with the kiss I owe her.

-oOo-

I listen to the rain patter softly against the window and I bring Asami closer to me. I grin thinking how I'm ending this day the same way it began: with my pajamas anywhere but on me. She has settled comfortably over my shoulder and at last, her perfect hair looks tousled, which I happen to find very sexy. I can proudly say that's my doing. Our first day dedicated to ourselves has been a resounding success. We found a new place perfect for weekend escapades. The food there was pretty good too. Asami got to log a considerable amount of miles on her new motorcycle and I was able to survive the ride bug incident free on our return trip. After we returned home, I was not only able to give her the kiss I'd wanted to give her before but I gave her much more than that. I cannot go back in time but I can certainly make up for lost time. That's exactly what happened when I swept her off her feet without leaving her mouth and allowed my desire to convey all the emotions bursting from me. My beautiful engineer is now exhausted both from the trip and from my effusive demonstration and she has already succumbed to slumber. I watch her face faintly illuminated by a pale moon which I can see from the window as I wait for sleep to overcome me. Perhaps I should settle for something more mundane and relaxing tomorrow like a turtle duck ride at the park instead of the South Pole trip. Regardless of what we end up doing, I have the total assurance it will be a good day because I will no longer dwell on what was lost and it could have been. I have no need of that anymore. Instead, I can focus now on the present and the future and the most important person I'll share them with. The one I'm holding right now in my arms.

"I have no need for regrets anymore because I have you now in my life Asami."

-Fin-

Author's Notes:

Well, made it into my second foray into Korrasami-land. This story came out as a sequel of sorts to When dawn breaks even though I had not planned to make a series out of it. I'll probably add more in the future because I've enjoyed getting into the character's shoes and minds and there's plenty material to explore.

This one came out with a dose of angst I hadn't originally intended, but I think it merges with the light and fluffy elements in an interesting manner. Thank you for reading and please don't forget to leave a comment if you liked it. Feedback is nourishment for the soul of the writer. ^_^


End file.
